Recent years have seen a rapid proliferation in drafting, modeling, and modifying three-dimensional models. Indeed, it is now common for individuals and businesses to generate three-dimensional models of various objects. For example, many designers, animators, and other artists utilize three-dimensional modeling software to create three-dimensional models. Modeling software further enables various artists to edit, manipulate, or otherwise interact with the three-dimensional models. Until recently, however scanning based three-dimensional modeling systems were only available to high-end professionals. As a result, three-dimensional scanning technologies have become more available to consumers and thus, more creative professionals have started scanning and modeling physical objects.
Conventional scanning based three-dimensional modeling systems, however, suffer from a variety of problems. For instance, when scanning a physical object to generate a three-dimensional model, conventional scanning based three-dimensional modeling systems often make an overwhelming number of polygons (point cloud) that make the scanned object nearly un-editable. In particular, conventional scanning based 3D modeling systems often fail to generate reasonable structure lines (e.g., edge loops) including features that correspond to surfaces, grooves, irregularities, or other features of the physical object. As a result, conventional scanning based three-dimensional modeling systems fail to generate user-friendly three-dimensional models including features that correspond to the edges of physical object (e.g., muscles of a human body, mechanical moving parts).
Some artists in the three-dimensional animation industry facilitate creation of a user-friendly three-dimensional model by drawing or sketching control guidelines over a surface of the physical object prior to scanning the physical object that assist modeling systems when generating the three-dimensional model. Generating models using hand-drawn control guidelines, however, used to involve expensive equipment that is not widely available to most artists. For example, scanning based 3D modeling systems that 3D animation industry used typically include an expensive point-tracking device and specialized scanners that digitize physical objects based on markings made on the physical object using the point-tracking device. As a result, most artists have limited or no access to tools and equipment that facilitate creation of user-friendly three-dimensional models.
Moreover, even where artists have access to expensive equipment for generating user-friendly three-dimensional models, sketching control guidelines using conventional point tracking devices and scanning equipment involves a time-consuming process that cannot be interrupted prior to completion. As a result, this type of process of scanning based three-dimensional modeling has never been popular.